Wearing apparel



Oct. 26, 1937. J. H. ELTON WEARING APPAREL Original Filed Oct. 9, 1933 Patented Oct. 26, 1937 PATENT ()FFlCE WEARlNG APPAREL John Hill Elton, Leeds, England Application October 9,

1933, Serial N0. 692,861

Renewed July 2'7, 1936. In Great Britain December 9, 1932 4 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to shirts.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of combined shirt and suspensory means (for the suspension, for example, of a pair of trousers), which will enable the shirt to be worn either as a plain tunic shirt or as a blouse shirt, at choice. A further object is to provide such an improved construction of shirt which in addition will ensure that the shirt shall always lie smoothly and free from rucking or wrinkling down the front, without the imposition of an uncomfortable pull upon the wearers body from the suspensory means, tending to hamper the otherwise free movements of the wearer and possibly result also in tearing of the shirt or of the trousers or other garment suspended therefrom.

According to the invention, a combined shirt and suspensory means comprises in combination, a shirt, at least one elastically extensible suspensory tab at each side of the shirt at the front thereof and at least one at the back, which tabs depend from the shirt from a position substantially at the waistline thereof, are secured to the outside of the shirt and are associated with pairs of slots therein, the slots of each pair being disposed one above the other in alignment with the respective tab and with the upper slot situated in the region of the waistline of the shirt and the lower slot at a distance below the point of connection of the tab to the shirt which is considerably greater than the length of the tab whereby a pouch effect of the shirt is obtainable in the neighbourhood of the waistline, and two strips extending up the front of the shirt, over the shoulders and down the back, from'the sus- Vii pensory tabs on the two sides of the shirt at the front thereof to the suspensory tabs at the rear, which strips are arranged to take the pull of the tabs, are stitched along their edges to the shirt for substantially the entirety of their length and extend over the shoulders in approximately rectilinear continuity from end to end.

It is found to be possible with this improved construction to produce a shirt, which, besides being capable of use at will either as a tunic shirt or as a blouse shirt, will always lie smoothly and free from rucking or wrinkling down the front. This result is due to the combined effect of three principal factors, namely the employment of suspensory tabs which are of an elastically extensible nature; the stitching of the strips along their edges to the shirt for substantially the entirety of their length, and the approximately straight line or rectilinear continuity of the strips over the shoulders of the shirt from the tabs at the front to the tab or tabs at the rear. All three of these factors have generally to be present in the shirt if the novel "5, result is to be obtained. If, for example, nonelastically extensible tabs are employed, the pull upon the strips tends to be suificiently excessive to produce rucking of the front of the shirt in spite of the rectilinear continuity of the strips 10 and the fact that they are stitched to the shirt along their edges for substantially the entirety of their length. Similarly, unless the strips are stitched to the shirt along their edges for substantially the entirety of their length, even though the tabs are of an elastically extensible nature and the strips are disposed in approximately rectilinear continuity, the tendency for rucking again obtains; while if the strips are not of rectilinear continuity, the pull in them is not rectilinear from end to end of the strip and in consequence the tension in the strip becomes discharged laterally thereof and in a non-uniform manner along different portions of the strip, with the result that rucking again tends to be produced.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference is directed to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a shirt in accordance with the invention, showing the shirt worn as a blouse shirt;

Figure 2 is a rear view, showing the shirt worn as a tunic shirt;

Figure 3 is a sectional fragmentary view through the shirt in the vicinity of the tabs, showing the parts in the positions they occupy when the shirt is being worn as a blouse shirt, as in Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a suspensory tab.

Referring to the drawing, the suspensory means comprises two strips of material l formed of the same fabric as the shirt and which are stitched at their side edges to the shirt at equal distances upon either side of the centre line thereof and extend approximately parallel to one another up the front of the shirt, under the shoulder straps 2 and slightly convergingly down the back of the shirt as indicated in Figure 2. The stitching at the edges of the strips terminates at short distance above the upper edge of the trousers and freely depending suspensory tabs 3 are secured at the ends of the strips both at the front and. rear of the shirt. A pair of divergent tabs are V sition, the outer material 'of the tabsiis puckered or pleated longitudinally of the tab at the ton-holes 5 disposed at intervals along the length thereof andby'which the 'tab may be se'cured provided at the end of each strip at the front of the shirt and a single tab at each end atthe' back. Each tab 3 consists of a double layer of the same material as that from which the strips 2 are formed and between which a strip of Washable elastic fabric 4is stitched. When the strips of elastic fabric are'in the normal retracted poupper end thereof in the manner illustrated, so

that an extension of the elastic fabric causes the outer material of the tab to be extended and when tautthe fabric imposes a limitation upon, the length to which the tablmay be, extended.

Each of the tabs is provided with a series of butto a button 6 upon the trousers or the like in an adjustable position in accordance with the requirements of the wearer. 1

; In an alternative arrangement the tabs 3 ma befformed separately and permanently secured to the ends of thestrips. l. r r y By the described arrangement suspensorymeans are provided upon a shirt which are permanently secured thereto, are free from metal fittings and may be readily laundered with the'shirt without having any injurious effect thereon, Moreover,

by virtue of the fact that the strips I extend in approximately rectilinear continuity from the 7 tabs at the front to the tabs at the rear, so that in effect the pull in the strips from the, tabs is substantially a straight-line pull from front tabs to rear tab on eachside of the shirt, the strips are stitched at their edges 'to the shirt along substantially the entire length of the strip and the tabs are elastically extensible and depend from the lower portion of the shirt,'the.tension imposed upon the strips by the weight of the trousers or the like'results in the surface of the shirt at'the front and the rear being maintained closing fabric of the tab is puckered or pleated at 9 in the normal condition as abovestated when the elastic strip is in the retracted position; the

button-holes 5 are arranged to extend through the strip of elastic fabric when thestrip extends V the'full length of the tab and the outer material may be' pleated for the entire length of the tab, if desired. r

The strips I may be formed of stronger material than that of the shirt or other garment and enclosed in a covering of the same material as 7 that from which the shirt is made.

Slots 8- are'provided in'the shirt in the vicinity of the waistline thereof. these slots being disfilo posed sufficiently close to the points of juncture of the tabs 3 and the strips 1. to enable both the tabs 3 secured to a strip I to pass therethrough; Two slots-.3 which are provided in the shirt below each slot 8 are disposed'considerably below this slot to enable the shirt to pouch bein the shirt side by side.

It'will be seen from Figure l'that the upper portion of the ena tween the slots. The tabs 3 are first threaded inwardly through the slot 8 and then outwardly through the particular slot 9 with which they are associated. Consequently, when the tabs 3 are secured to the buttons 6 upon the trousers, the

portion of the shirt located between the slots 8 and 9 overhangs the upper edge of the trousers in a pouch like manner. Instead of providing a single slot 8 common to a pair'of tabs, a slot 8 can be provided for each tab. In this case the pairs of slots 8 must be located somewhat below the position of the single slots 8 illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 in order that they can be formed ment has the advantage that the shirt can be used'as an ordinary tunic shirtoras ashirt which is pouched around the waistline. If a pouched shirt is desired the tabs 3 will be inserted through the slots 8 and 9 in the manner hereinbefore described whilst if an ordinary tunic shirt (Figure 2) 'is'desired the tabs 3 will be merely secured to the buttons 8 upon the'trousers without inserting themthrough eitherof the slots.

It is to be understood that where the word shirt? is employed in the specification and the The above arrange appended claims, it also implies the coat of a a suit of pyjamas towhich the pyjama trousers are to be suspended and also a ladys blouse from which a'skirt is to be suspended.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:' a

1. In combination, a shirt, -a plurality of yieldingly extensible suspensory tabs permanently secured to the shirt outside the same, some at the front and some at the rear thereof so as to depend therefrom at the waistline, all said suspensory tabs being provided with attachment 7 means whereby a pair of trousers or other garment may be suspended therefrom at different points along the-length of the tabs, pairs of slots in said shirt, the slots of each pair being disposed one'above the other in alignment with one of the tabsand with the upper slot in the region of the waistline of the shirt and the lower slot considerably below the upper slot to enable the shirt to pouch between the slots.

2. In combination, a shirt, a plurality of elas- :tic suspensory tabs formed wholly of washable fabric permanently secured to the shirt outside the same, some at the-front and some at the back thereof so as to depend therefrom atthe waistline, each of said tabs being provided with,

a plurality of button-holes spaced along the length thereofjpairs of'slots in ,said'shirt, the slots of each pair: being disposed one above the other inalignment with one of the-tabsjand with the upper slot in the regionoof the Waistline of the. shirt and the lower slot'considerably below the upper slot to enable the shirt to pouch be tween the slots.

3. In combination, a shirt, a pair of strips of fabric stitched along their'ed ges'tosaid'sl'iirt and extending 'exteriorly up the front of the shirt 7 one over each shoulder and exteriorly down the back of the shirt, thesaid, strips terminatingin the immediate vicinity of the waistline in at least one undetachable elastic suspensory, tab formed. wholly of washable fabric, each 'of said tabs being "provided with a plurality of button-holes j spaced along the length thereof, pairs of slots in said shirt, the slots of each pair being dis- ;posed one above the other in alignment with one of the tabs and with the upper slot in the region of the waistline of the shirt and the lower slot considerably below the upper slot to enable the.

shirt to pouch between the slots.

4. A combined shirt and suspensory means, comprising in combination a shirt, at least one elastically extensible suspensory tab at each side of the shirt at the front thereof and at least one at the back, which tabs depend from the shirt from a position substantially at the waistline thereof, are secured to the outside of the shirt and are associated with pairs of slots therein, the slots of each pair being disposed one above the other in alignment with the respective tab and with the upper slot situated in the region of the waistline of the shirt and the lower slot 15 at a distance below the point of connection of the tab to the shirt which is considerably greater than the length of the tab whereby a pouch effect of the shirt is obtainable in the neighbourhood of the waistline, and two strips extending up the front of the shirt, over the shouldersvand down the back, from the suspensory tabs on the two sides of the shirt at the front thereof to the suspensory tabs at the rear, which strips are arranged to take the pull of the tabs, are stitched along their edges to the shirt for substantially the entirety of their length and extend over the shoulders in approximately rectilinear continuityv from end to end.

JOHN HILL ELTON. 

